The present invention relates generally to beds, and more particularly to a sofa convertible to a bed.
The prior art contains a considerable number of designs for sofas that are convertible to beds. The vast majority of these sofa beds can be folded, where a plurality of sections are hinge connected so the sofa can be converted to a bed by a complex series of horizontal and vertical motions, or extensibly where the sections are withdrawn linearly to provide a planar sleeping surface.
The folding sofa beds, although having enjoyed the greatest commercial success, require rather complicated operating mechanisms which greatly contribute to the weight of the unit and its manufacturing costs. In addition, since sofa beds of this type generally require a lifting motion, it cannot be used by persons unable to perform heavy lifting. Finally, the mattress overlying the sleeping or sitting surface of foldable sofa beds must undergo considerable bending which greatly reduces the life of the mattress, dictates against use of a good quality matress and can further result in damage to the mattress resiliency which makes sleeping or sitting an uncomfortable experience, particularly those persons with back problems.
Extensible sofa beds have also suffered similar draw backs. For example, complex guide mechanisms must be employed to insure that the extensible sections do not jam when the unit is opened or closed. This problem is due partly to the considerable weight of the operating members. Attempts to reduce the weight of the operating members by eliminating structural material by constructing the sofa bed of lighter weight material have generally resulted in furniture of fragile construction or increased costs. In addition, the operating mechanisms joining the extensible sections are usually wheels or rollers which are subject to wear and can easily slip from their guiding track, thereby rendering the bed mechanism inoperable. Some patents to extensible sofabeds are Bartolucci, U.S. Pat. No. 2,783,479; Gertler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,631; Shellow et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,079; Komarov, U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,073; Dushane, U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,299; Lane et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,287; and Rasnick, U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,742.
Some of the drawbacks of the conventional convertible sofa bed from a consumers standpoint are: it is heavy, it is difficult to open and close, and it is prone to injure fingers, elbows, heads, backs and toes. The springs are extremely soft and therefore uncomfortable. Also the springs provide no back support and the mattress is usually of poor quality. Quite often the unit is too short as a bed if it is only six feet long. Additional drawbacks are: the units leave large indentations in carpets, the units deteriorate rapidly and often need repair.
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel sofa-platform bed that is comfortable and one which provides good back support.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel sofa-platform bed that is lightweight.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel sofa-platform bed that is easy to open and close.
It is another object of the invention to provide a novel sofa-platform bed that can be made in any bed size: twin, single, double, queen or king, and in any length.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a novel sofa-platform bed that would have a mattress that would be longer than six feet.
It also an object of the invention to provide a novel sofa-platform bed that provides a surface upon which the mattress rests that is dead level.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel sofa-platform bed that can be built in any sofa style from French Provincial to the most modern on its understructure.